How I Run Marathons using Run, Walk, Run

I am not what you’d typically think about when you think about runners. I’m overweight and look like I’d more happy watching a football game than running a marathon. So, how did I get through 20 plus half marathons and 4 full marathons without any injuries? It’s the Jeff Galloway Run, Walk, Run Method and it’s awesome! I was first introduced to Jeff Galloway through RunDisney races. As I trained for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon (my first marathon), I came across this video which Jeff Goes into how he came up with this method and some of the science behind it. Check it out…

When I first started running races, I tried to make it all the way to the end of my first 5K’s without walking. However, the farthest I ever got was just over the half way point. So, walking has always been part of what got me to the finish lines. It’s just that walking initially came through being too tired to continue running. With the Galloway Run, Walk, Run Method, the walk breaks are planned as a way of conserving energy to help you finish your races strong. As he notes, you don’t have to employ the run, walk, run for the entire race. Start off with this method and find the point in the race where you don’t need it anymore. However, by employing regular walk breaks into your runs, it will help you conserve energy and prevent injury. Isn’t that we all want as runners? To train for a race without injury?